- Address: Jerusalem, Israel;
- Beginning of construction: 326 of the Nativity of Christ;
- Architect: Elena Ravnoapostolnaya;
- Working hours: summer period from 5.00 to 20.00, and winter from 4.30 to 19.00.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem is the main shrine and place of pilgrimage for Christians. If you believe the Scriptures, the place of building the church is the place of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The use of sacred objects is carried out by the Jerusalem Patriarchate, whose administrative buildings are in the immediate vicinity of the south-west side.
Annually the clergy light a blessed fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Under its arches are five stops of the Crossroads. The complex of facilities on the site of Golgotha serve as headquarters for various denominations. Some of the buildings are allocated for the needs of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem.
Church of the Holy Sepulcher - history and modernity
The memory of the place of the crucifixion and burial of Christ was carefully preserved by the Christians and after the permission of Jerusalem by Emperor Titus. Before the modern church was built, in its place there was a pagan temple of Venus.
The construction of a modern complex began with the erection of a church on the orders of St. Queen of Helen (mother of Constantine I). It also includes the alleged site of Golgotha and the Life-giving Cross. The scale of the work can be assessed now by visiting the monumental complex of buildings, which includes several parts.
The temple was consecrated in the presence of Constantine I in 335 on September 13. The complex was conquered by the Persians and Arabs, periodically rebuilt and updated.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Israel) today is an architectural complex, which includes such buildings and places as:
- Calvary with the place of the Crucifixion;
- rotunda;
- the cathedral temple;
- the underground temple of the Life-giving Cross;
- the temple of the saint is equal to the throne of Helena.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is divided among several denominations of the Christian church. For each of them, a clock and a place for prayers are allocated. In order that disputes and conflicts between representatives of confessions did not arise, a special place for storing keys was allocated. Beginning in 1192, they were transferred to one Muslim family and kept by her heirs.
Temple as a tourist attraction
To realize how beautiful the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is, the photos will not help in full. To see firsthand the staircase to Golgotha, the rotunda and the stone of Confirmation , one should come to Jerusalem. The temple is open from 5.00 to 20.00 in the period from April to September every day, and in the autumn and winter months - from 4.30 to 19.00. On holidays, the passage to the shrines is very difficult. The least number of pilgrims and tourists from 4-5 hours in the afternoon.
Church of the Holy Sepulcher - what's inside
The church includes the following parts: the chapel, the Church of the Resurrection and the Temple on Calvary. To Calvary you can get to the steps leading to the right after entering the temple. Here there are chapels of the Orthodox and Armenian denominations. Directly beneath it is the underground chapel of Adam. Between the Orthodox and Catholic altars is the altar of the standing of the Mother of God.
Above the Sepulcher of the Lord, the Kuvuklia towers - a chapel in which the Holy Fire is lit. On the opposite side is the Coptic part of the temple. Opposite the entrance to the chapel there is a stone vase, named "The Pup of the Earth" . It is a symbol of the center of spiritual aspirations of all Christians.
To make it easier to find the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, address: Jerusalem, Old Town , st. St. Helena, 1, - should be written in a notebook. However, any passer-by will help to get to the business card of the city.
How to get there?
In order not to get lost among the streets of Jerusalem , you should first find out where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is. You can get to him through the Ethiopian church or come up with "Shuk Afitimios", and then through the gate of the "Market of Dyers". To the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is also the street "Christian", after which you should go down to St. Helena. It is she who goes straight to the courtyard in front of the churchyard.